Realising his glove compartment had been ransacked, motorist Alexis Hemsley checked a secret weapon most homeowners don’t have - his CCTV.

What he saw as he watched it back made his blood boil.

As the dad-of-three and his family slept in their home in New Road, Porthcawl, in the early hours of Sunday morning, a shameless torch-wielding thief wandered on to his property and - after circling a securely locked Mini - discovered the Mercedes C Class vehicle next to it was unlocked.

He then spends more than two-and-a-half minutes rummaging through the car, before helping himself to more than £1,000 worth of goods including a camera, Sat Nav, and a laser measuring tape.

After having a final check through the windows of the vehicle, the satisfied thief- who unwittingly flashed his face to the camera on a number of occasions - then calmly wanders off.

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” said Mr Helmsley. “I didn’t even realise until the Sunday evening. I work away in London and when I was loading up the car I realised all my papers and things were all over the front seat.

“I checked the CCTV and I was fuming. It’s worrying that someone feels that they can just walk on to your drive and take your stuff.

“He didn’t have a care in the world, he took his time and was completely brazen.

“I’d accidentally left it unlocked after going to B&Q with my daughter on the Saturday. I’d taken some stuff down the side of the house and I just forgot to go back and lock it.

“It’s worrying that this is the society we live in.

“If they are that brazen about robbing cars what’s to say they won’t try to get in to the house.”

After contacting police about the theft, the 52-year-old contract lift manager posted the footage online in the hope that someone might recognise the burglar.

It was then that a neighbour told him he’d been woken by the sound of a van’s engine running in the early hours of Sunday morning. Mr Hemsley says he thinks the van may be connected.

He added: “The police are investigating, but I’m not sure whether I’ll get the stuff back. The camera had pictures of my daughter's gym competition on there which I hadn’t had chance to download and that’s one of the worst things.

“The stuff was worth about £1,700 and he’ll probably get £100 for it all if he’s lucky. It makes me so angry.”